Buttery Agave Dinner Rolls

These smell amazing when they bake.

No egg or egg replacer required…

16 Rolls, $4.00 (cost of ingredients per recipe)

Adapted from my favorite honey-wheatgerm roll recipe….these rolls are the sweetest and softest I’ve ever tasted.  The addition of wheat germ adds the whole wheat flavor back in, while keeping the smooth taste of the white flour.  Rolls can’t get any better than this.  My husband is always thrilled when I make these, and they have become my new favorite Thanksgiving contribution.

Place dough balls close together, let them rise to the point that they all stick together and fill the pan.

Aw, it looks so lonely.  I’ll eat you, little roll!  Right after this photo.

• 1  packet yeast
• 2 ½ cups bread or all-purpose flour, plus about 1/3 cup more for kneading
• ¼ cup toasted wheat germ
• ¾ tsp. salt
• 3 Tbs. earth balance, softened, plus more for brushing dough
• 3 Tbs. agave nectar*
• Very Important: metal baking pan

*Or honey for non-vegans!  

How-to:

1. Dissolve yeast into 1/4 cup warm water. Let stand 10 minutes.  It should bubble and foam.
2. Mix flour, wheat germ and salt in bowl. Combine well.
3. Stir softened “butter” and agave into 3/4 cup warm water until both are well dissolved.
4. Pour yeast mixture and “butter” mixture into flour mixture.
5. Start combining dough until it forms a ball.  Dough ball should be smooth, not sticky.  If it is sticky, add 1/3 cup flour by small increments until stickiness is gone.
6.  Knead dough by hand until it is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
7.  Place dough in oiled bowl, and cover. Let rise 1 hour, or until doubled.
8.  Deflate dough, and divide into quarters, then divide each quarter into 4. Roll dough into balls. Place dough balls in 4 rows in greased metal pan. (Metal only, folks.  I have royally screwed up these rolls by using a glass vessel, and a stoneware vessel.  Metal only……seriously.)
9.  Cover dough; let rise 45 minutes, or until  balls have doubled in size and are filling out the pan, sticking together.
10.  Preheat oven to 375. Brush tops with melted “butter”, bake 20 minutes, or until tops of rolls are browned.  I turn my oven heat off halfway through cooking to make sure they aren’t overdone and to save energy.

About these ads